Royal Enfield Khardung La V2 Riding Jacket Review: Introduction

Introduction

Royal Enfield has added new riding gear to its portfolio, and the company recently sent their premium jacket, the Khardung La V2 to Bikewale for a review. While the Khardung La V2 is an all-weather touring jacket, we will use it in a variety of riding conditions (city and highway) to test factors such as practicality and comfort. I especially plan to use it for those long, weekend rides on the Royal Enfield Himalayan that we have in our garage. The combination is almost poetic, isn’t it?

Before we talk about the details, let us give you a perspective about the company’s new riding jackets, and where does the Khardung La V2 sit in the portfolio. The Khardung La V2 is currently the second most premium riding jacket in Royal Enfield’s range, sitting just under the Nirvik. It has been priced at Rs 12,950, and the company has justified that tag with a commendable quality and premium armour. More on that in the later part of this introduction report. First let us tell you why you should buy this jacket.

Why the Royal Enfield Khardung La V2?

The Khardung La V2, as mentioned above, is an all-season jacket, with touring being its USP. Thus, you can use it all-year long. Multiple vents are aimed to deliver sufficient ventilation during summer while the non-mesh design and the removable thermal liner can be used to keep things warm in cold riding conditions. So, unless you’re off to a racetrack, the Khardung La V2 is the do-it-all dexterity that you’ll need in your wardrobe.

Royal Enfield Khardung La V2

The Khardung La V2 comes with a three-layer construction along with a separate rain-jacket. The premium protection setup includes D3O EVO PRO CE level 2 armours for the shoulders and the elbows, while the back and chest guards include perforated EVA foam. If you were planning to buy the jacket, get the additional protection of CE certified armour for the back and the chest.

The CE certified jacket is made of 600 D polyester fabric while the shoulder and elbow patches, which feature a black colour, are produced from 610 D polyester cordura. With the lack of mesh-design, things are likely to get hot, which is why there are vents on the chest, back, sleeves and arms. The Khardung La V2 also gets reflective branding on the back and chest while a reflective patch is placed on the side arms.

Enhancing the practicality aspect are the six external pockets – two on the chest and four on the lower part of the jacket. The rear gets a pocket for the rain-jacket. On the inside, there are two more pockets.

The colour options include Olive and Grey options – and the former looks quite appealing. If you like things to be subtle, opt for the Grey colour option.

The Khardung La V2 is quite a package. There is, however, one small problem and it’s called the Nirvik. The flagship jacket from Royal Enfield is just Rs 2,000 more expensive than the Khardung La V2. For that premium, the Nirvik is loaded with features like –

- 500 D Nylon construction

- D3O CE Level 1 back protector

- CE Level 1 chest protectors

- Velcro straps instead of buttons for better adjustability